New $5 million fund for Amazon forest conservation

August 26, 2019 — Amid mounting international concern over increased fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, some are taking direct action.  A new Amazon Forest Fund was announced yesterday by Earth Alliance, which itself was created last month by Leonardo DiCaprio and philanthropists Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth, and has the involvement of ICFC's esteemed colleague Global Wildlife Conservation.

ICFC is delighted to report that the Kayapo Project is intended as one of the recipients of support from the Amazon Forest Fund. The Kayapo Project protects a region of the southeastern Amazon the size of South Korea from illegal incursions for logging, goldmining and land clearing for agriculture.

The Kayapo (with our help) are pretty much holding the line but facing greatly increased pressures and we need multi-year funding for additional guard posts. ICFC and other organizations are fielding questions from people concerned about the burning Amazon and asking what they can do.  Providing support for the Kayapo Project is one CONCRETE way people can help maintain long-term protection of one of the most threatened regions of the Amazon.  These lands maintain a wealth of biodiversity and a store a vast quanitity of carbon.  The traditional way of life of the Kayapo depends on them, and their continued existence benefits the entire world.